The @Percussion - Episode 99 Patti Niemi

099 - Patti Niemi

Patti Niemi has been a member of the percussion section of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1992.  She has several recordings to her credit, from opera productions to chamber percussion works. 
Recently published in her memoir Sticking it Out. About it, author Kevin Smokler writes: "Sharp like a flam, resonant like the end of a roll, Sticking it Out is everything you want a music memoir to be: funny, honest and memorable."

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 intro and hello
2:43 Why write Sticking It Out? The process of writing this?
6:11 Julliard, at the time.
10:20 Deciding boundaries of what to share in the book? Sexual harassment
18:45 "Can't be done by a woman" ?!
24:20 Long term anxiety?
27:45 Auditions today, tenure.
30:28 Bringing a bad attitude
33:43 Laurel: International Women's Brass Conference. Four rolls women fill
45:10 Happening lately in the Opera?
49:02 Favorite Opera hits?
52:47 How has the book changed things for you as a percussionist?
55:15 Advice for young people?
57:20 Gary Burton quote